Public interest group sues over parking meters

August 19, 2009

A citizens' advocacy group sued Chicago today in an attempt to have a court declare the city's deal to lease parking meters to a private company "illegal and void."

The suit, filed by the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization, claims the city did not have authority to lease its streets for an "excessive period" and that the city can't pay police to enforce parking violations for a private company. It also says the city can't ask the Illinois secretary of state to suspend driving privileges for failure to pay tickets issued at private meters.

In December, aldermen quickly approved Mayor Richard Daley's parking-meter deal to lease the city's 36,000 parking spots to a private firm for the next 75 years. Aldermen have taken political heat from people upset over the higher city meter rates and a botched transition to the private operator.

"It robs the city of the ability to regulate its own streets," said Owen Brugh, a spokesman for IVI-IPO. "They did this to plug up short-term budget deficits instead of addressing the fundamental issue of how to fund government. That's poor public policy."

Based on its initial review, the city believes the suit "is wholly without merit, both factually and legally," said Jennifer Hoyle, a spokeswoman for Chicago's Law Department.

The case has been assigned to Cook County Circuit Court Judge Richard Billick Jr. It could take as long as six months before he rules whether the suit can go forward.